年
nián/ni̯ɛn³⁵/
The English phrase "years" is translated into Chinese as 年 (nián).
年 refers to the period of twelve months. You can add this character after digits to explicitly mention a specific number of years.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the word for "year" does not change its form to indicate plurality, unlike in English. Furthermore, the phrase 几年 is context-dependent: it can mean "how many years" when used in a question or "a few years" when used in a statement.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is nián.
Did you know?
- During the Lunar New Year, the word 年 is often associated with the mythical beast 年, from which the holiday gets its name.
- In traditional Chinese age-counting, a person is considered one 年 old at birth, effectively making them one year old on the day they are born.
- The character 年 originally meant 'harvest' rather than 'year'.
Examples in context
- 多少年过去了。Years passed.This sentence is useful for describing the passage of many 年.Tatoeba #5092260 by mirrorvan, translation #282197 by CK
- 它花了我三年。It took me three years.This sentence shows how to use 年 when specifying a duration of three years.Tatoeba #6109326 by verdastelo9604, translation #5747445 by CM
- 他被判了五年。He got five years.This sentence demonstrates the use of 年 when referring to a five-year sentence.Tatoeba #13206626 by LeviHighway, translation #13005684 by maaster
- 348 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their long-term career plans.
- 梓涵 Zihan你打算在这里工作多少年？Nǐ dǎsuàn zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò duōshǎo nián?How many years do you plan to work here?
- 浩然 Haoran我想在这里工作很多年。Wǒ xiǎng zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò hěnduō nián.I want to work here for many years.
- 梓涵 Zihan那你的职业规划很长远啊。Nà nǐ de zhíyè guīhuà hěn chángyuǎn a.Then your career plan is very long-term.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，我希望能稳定发展。Shì de, wǒ xīwàng néng wěndìng fāzhǎn.Yes, I hope to develop steadily.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 年, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 年, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
